Closed Doors Can't Stop You

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But suddenly your health improves, 0:01:43.000 --> 0:01:47.000 Suddenly you meet the right person, Suddenly your career takes off. 0:01:47.400 --> 0:01:51.400 What happened the doorkeeper stepped in? Get ready for some 0:01:51.560 --> 0:01:55.440 open doors. Hi, this is Joel and Victoria. Thanks for 0:01:55.520 --> 0:01:58.760 listening to our podcast and thanks for supporting the ministry. 0:01:58.920 --> 0:02:01.680 If you enjoy today's why don't you be a blessing 0:02:01.760 --> 0:02:02.840 and share it with a friend. 0:02:03.120 --> 0:02:05.840 We appreciate you and pray for God's very best in 0:02:05.920 --> 0:02:12.280 your life. Will God bless you? It's a joy to 0:02:12.360 --> 0:02:15.480 come into your homes, and if you're ever in our area, 0:02:15.520 --> 0:02:18.200 please stop by and be a part of our service. 0:02:18.480 --> 0:02:20.880 I promise you we'll make you feel right at home. 0:02:21.040 --> 0:02:23.800 These are the finest people in all of Houston, Texas, 0:02:23.960 --> 0:02:26.400 right here at Lakewood. But thanks for being with us today. 0:02:27.240 --> 0:02:29.679 I like to start with something funny, and I heard 0:02:29.720 --> 0:02:36.120 about these three aspiring psychiatrists, William, Julie, and Bubba. They 0:02:36.120 --> 0:02:40.680 were taking their first test on emotional extremes. The professor 0:02:40.760 --> 0:02:45.519 asked William, what is the opposite of sadness? He replied happiness. 0:02:45.960 --> 0:02:49.600 The professor asked Julie what is the opposite of depression? 0:02:50.080 --> 0:02:54.200 She replied joy. The professor asked Bubba what is the 0:02:54.240 --> 0:02:59.400 opposite of woe? Woe? Bubba looked kind of puzzled. After 0:02:59.440 --> 0:03:04.400 a long he replied, giddy up, say it like you 0:03:04.520 --> 0:03:07.640 mean it. This is my Bible. I am what it 0:03:07.680 --> 0:03:10.280 says I am. I have what it says I have. 0:03:10.800 --> 0:03:13.480 I can do what it says I can do. Today 0:03:13.680 --> 0:03:16.720 I will be taught the word of God. I boldly 0:03:16.840 --> 0:03:21.080 confess my mind is alert, my heart is receptive. I 0:03:21.120 --> 0:03:25.359 will never be the same. In Jesus's name, God bless you. 0:03:26.520 --> 0:03:29.520 I want to talk to you today about how closed 0:03:29.560 --> 0:03:34.040 doors can't stop you. We've all had times where something 0:03:34.080 --> 0:03:37.520 didn't work out. We didn't get the promotion, the loan 0:03:37.560 --> 0:03:41.280 didn't go through, a relationship didn't make it. We did 0:03:41.280 --> 0:03:45.320 our best, we prayed, we believed, but the door didn't open. 0:03:46.240 --> 0:03:48.760 I talked to a young man that's believing to get 0:03:48.760 --> 0:03:53.160 into medical school. He's finished his undergraduate studies and did 0:03:53.320 --> 0:03:57.480 very well. He's applied to forty different colleges, but none 0:03:57.520 --> 0:04:01.360 of them have said yes. He was so discouraged, thinking 0:04:01.400 --> 0:04:04.560 that it wasn't meant to be. But God wouldn't have 0:04:04.640 --> 0:04:07.560 allowed the door to close if it was going to 0:04:07.680 --> 0:04:11.320 keep you from your destiny. We may not see how 0:04:11.360 --> 0:04:15.200 it could work out, but God hasn't run out of options. 0:04:15.480 --> 0:04:17.800 He's not at a loss at how to turn your 0:04:17.839 --> 0:04:23.440 situation around. The scripture says God opens doors that no 0:04:23.600 --> 0:04:27.520 man can shut, and he shuts doors that no man 0:04:27.600 --> 0:04:33.080 can open. Here's the key. God is your doorkeeper. People 0:04:33.240 --> 0:04:37.760 can't keep you from your purpose. Obstacles can't stop what 0:04:37.839 --> 0:04:41.400 God has ordained for you. You may feel like you're 0:04:41.400 --> 0:04:45.239 behind a closed door in your health. He can't seem 0:04:45.279 --> 0:04:48.560 to get well in your career. You're working hard but 0:04:48.720 --> 0:04:52.559 not getting ahead in a relationship. Things keep falling through. 0:04:53.279 --> 0:04:58.719 Stay encouraged. Those closed doors are not permanent. The enemy 0:04:58.920 --> 0:05:04.520 doesn't control your do People don't control your doors. Fear, addiction, 0:05:04.800 --> 0:05:09.279 depression don't control your doors. The most high God is 0:05:09.360 --> 0:05:14.800 your doorkeeper. He controls what opens and what closes. Now, 0:05:14.800 --> 0:05:18.000 I believe you're about to see some doors that have 0:05:18.120 --> 0:05:22.359 been closed for a long time suddenly open. You can't 0:05:22.440 --> 0:05:26.200 explain it, you didn't see it coming. But suddenly your 0:05:26.240 --> 0:05:30.440 health improves, Suddenly you meet the right person, Suddenly your 0:05:30.480 --> 0:05:35.240 career takes off. What happened the doorkeeper stepped in. Get 0:05:35.279 --> 0:05:39.880 ready for some open doors. John chapter twenty. Jesus had 0:05:39.920 --> 0:05:43.760 just been crucified and risen from the dead. One evening, 0:05:44.000 --> 0:05:47.440 the disciples were in a room together. They had locked 0:05:47.440 --> 0:05:50.960 the door to make sure no one got in. They 0:05:51.000 --> 0:05:54.960 had seen how the people treated Jesus, how against him 0:05:55.000 --> 0:05:58.360 they were. Now they were afraid that those same leaders 0:05:58.360 --> 0:06:01.960 would come and arrest them. I can see them dead 0:06:02.040 --> 0:06:05.200 bolt the door. Somebody says, are you sure it's locked? 0:06:05.360 --> 0:06:08.920 Go back and double check. They did everything they could 0:06:09.200 --> 0:06:12.800 to keep people out. But while they were meeting the 0:06:12.839 --> 0:06:18.520 scripture says, Jesus appeared unto them. I can imagine Jesus 0:06:18.560 --> 0:06:21.800 came to the door and it was locked. He knocked 0:06:21.960 --> 0:06:25.039 and knocked, but they wouldn't answer it. They were so 0:06:25.160 --> 0:06:28.800 afraid and on edge, wondering who it was. All of 0:06:28.839 --> 0:06:33.400 a sudden, Jesus came through the door. He didn't open it, 0:06:33.839 --> 0:06:36.520 he didn't unlock it, he didn't try to beat it down. 0:06:36.760 --> 0:06:41.400 He came through it. God was showing us. Closed doors 0:06:41.440 --> 0:06:45.719 can't stop him. Locked doors cannot keep you from what 0:06:45.839 --> 0:06:49.920 God has for you. Now. People may have closed the door, 0:06:50.440 --> 0:06:53.960 tried to keep you from promotion. How you were raised, 0:06:54.200 --> 0:06:56.920 may have shut the door. You feel like you're at 0:06:56.960 --> 0:07:00.880 a disadvantage. Forces of darkness may have locked the door, 0:07:01.320 --> 0:07:04.200 tried to keep you from your healing, from your freedom. 0:07:04.560 --> 0:07:07.200 It's been that way a long time. It feels like 0:07:07.240 --> 0:07:10.920 the door is not only shut, but it's locked, dead, vaulted. 0:07:11.440 --> 0:07:15.080 The good news is God doesn't have to open the door. 0:07:15.360 --> 0:07:19.240 He can come through it. He's not limited by what's 0:07:19.280 --> 0:07:24.680 limiting us. We're natural. He's supernatural. You need to get 0:07:24.720 --> 0:07:29.400 your fire back. Closed doors can't stop you. Locked doors 0:07:29.480 --> 0:07:34.360 cannot keep you from your destiny. God is not restricted 0:07:34.720 --> 0:07:38.520 by what's holding you back. He's not hoping someone will 0:07:38.520 --> 0:07:42.040 open the door, hoping someone will let him in. He 0:07:42.080 --> 0:07:47.240 doesn't need permission. He controls the universe. The medical report 0:07:47.320 --> 0:07:50.320 may say that you're not going to get well. It 0:07:50.360 --> 0:07:54.800 looks like that door is permanently closed. Get ready. God 0:07:54.880 --> 0:07:57.600 is about to come through the door. It's going to 0:07:57.680 --> 0:08:03.080 be unusual, out of the ordinary, a supernatural healing. May 0:08:03.200 --> 0:08:06.600 seem like the door has closed on your dreams. You'll 0:08:06.600 --> 0:08:09.960 never get into college, never meet the right person, never 0:08:10.040 --> 0:08:14.080 have that baby. Every circumstance says it's too late. That 0:08:14.120 --> 0:08:17.360 door is locked. It's never going to open. Just smile 0:08:17.480 --> 0:08:20.720 and say it doesn't have to open. Father, Thank you 0:08:21.080 --> 0:08:23.720 that you're about to come through the door. Thank you 0:08:23.800 --> 0:08:26.280 that you're making a way where I don't see away. 0:08:27.120 --> 0:08:30.600 Thank you that closed doors can't stop what you have 0:08:30.760 --> 0:08:34.160 for me. Some of the doors that have been closed 0:08:34.160 --> 0:08:36.880 for a long time. You need to get ready. God 0:08:36.960 --> 0:08:40.040 is about to show out in your life. One touch 0:08:40.080 --> 0:08:45.319 of his favor, one good break, one contract, one healing, meeting, 0:08:45.400 --> 0:08:48.720 one right person will catapult you to a new level. 0:08:49.600 --> 0:08:52.760 And what I love is even when we lock the door, 0:08:53.440 --> 0:08:58.200 like the Disciples, even when we let fear insecurity, intimidation 0:08:58.600 --> 0:09:02.200 cause us to shrink back. God says, that's no problem 0:09:02.320 --> 0:09:06.600 for me. Fear can't keep me out. Depression can't stop 0:09:06.640 --> 0:09:10.800 what I have for you. Limited thinking can't hold me back. 0:09:11.520 --> 0:09:16.640 God overrides every negative force. You may have locked the door, 0:09:17.040 --> 0:09:19.960 but it's the right time. God is going to come 0:09:20.040 --> 0:09:23.040 through the door. He's not going to let you miss 0:09:23.080 --> 0:09:27.240 your destiny. When I came back from college, I worked 0:09:27.240 --> 0:09:30.680 behind the scenes here at Lakewood doing the television production. 0:09:31.400 --> 0:09:33.360 I thought that's what I would do the rest of 0:09:33.360 --> 0:09:37.640 my life. I liked being in the background. I'm naturally 0:09:37.760 --> 0:09:42.160 more quiet and reserved. But many times my father tried 0:09:42.200 --> 0:09:44.880 to get me up to speak. He'd said, Joel, you'd 0:09:44.920 --> 0:09:47.680 be a great pastor. Why don't you speak for me? 0:09:47.760 --> 0:09:50.760 Sometime I didn't want to get up in front of people. 0:09:51.280 --> 0:09:56.040 I was afraid and intimidated. I not only shut the door, 0:09:56.400 --> 0:09:58.840 I made sure it was dead bolted, put a couple 0:09:59.000 --> 0:10:03.040 chains on it. For seventeen years, I made sure that 0:10:03.120 --> 0:10:07.240 door was securely locked. But when my father went to 0:10:07.320 --> 0:10:10.760 be with the Lord, God didn't knock on the door 0:10:11.000 --> 0:10:13.320 to see if I would open it. He didn't ask 0:10:13.360 --> 0:10:15.840 me for permission. He didn't check to see if it 0:10:15.880 --> 0:10:20.959 was unlocked. He came through the door. All of a sudden, 0:10:22.520 --> 0:10:26.079 I had the desire to step up and pastor the church. 0:10:26.800 --> 0:10:29.600 And even though I was still afraid, I felt a strength, 0:10:30.120 --> 0:10:34.320 a courage of boldness. Didn't make sense to my mind. 0:10:34.960 --> 0:10:37.120 How could I step up to speak. I didn't have 0:10:37.160 --> 0:10:41.400 the training, the experience. Thoughts told me it would never 0:10:41.520 --> 0:10:46.000 work out. But down in my spirit I felt this boldness, 0:10:46.040 --> 0:10:49.079 saying I can do all things through Christ. I am 0:10:49.120 --> 0:10:53.480 strong in the Lord. If God had waited for me 0:10:53.840 --> 0:10:57.960 to open the door, he'd still be waiting. God is 0:10:58.080 --> 0:11:02.080 so good even when we close the door, even when 0:11:02.160 --> 0:11:04.600 we think of all the reasons why it's not going 0:11:04.640 --> 0:11:07.600 to work out, why we can't step up and lead 0:11:07.679 --> 0:11:11.199 the department, why we can't get well, at the right time, 0:11:11.600 --> 0:11:14.880 God's going to come through that door and thrust you 0:11:15.080 --> 0:11:19.840 into your destiny. Like me, you may have locked some 0:11:20.000 --> 0:11:24.680 doors because of fear, you feel unqualified, like you don't 0:11:24.679 --> 0:11:28.680 have the training, the experience, or because of mistakes you've 0:11:28.720 --> 0:11:32.440 made things haven't worked out. Now you've gone years with 0:11:32.520 --> 0:11:35.800 that door locked, thinking it could never happen. No, your 0:11:35.920 --> 0:11:40.200 time is coming God wouldn't have given you that opportunity 0:11:40.640 --> 0:11:44.000 if you were not well able. The fear may not 0:11:44.200 --> 0:11:47.800 totally go away, but you're going to feel a boldness 0:11:47.920 --> 0:11:52.280 rising up. That's the most high God breathing in your direction. 0:11:53.120 --> 0:11:56.440 He's about to take you where you can't go on 0:11:56.520 --> 0:12:01.800 your own. Those doors you locked didn't stop your destiny. 0:12:01.960 --> 0:12:04.920 God is not going to let fear hold you back. 0:12:05.679 --> 0:12:09.000 He's not going to let negative words people have spoken 0:12:09.080 --> 0:12:12.360 over you to keep you locked in. He's not going 0:12:12.400 --> 0:12:15.280 to let how you were raised, what you didn't get 0:12:15.480 --> 0:12:18.480 to keep you from becoming who you were created to be. 0:12:19.360 --> 0:12:23.040 Don't be surprised when doors open for you that you 0:12:23.240 --> 0:12:26.760 tried to keep shut. I didn't think I could do this, 0:12:27.080 --> 0:12:30.040 but God saw something in me that I couldn't see. 0:12:30.880 --> 0:12:35.360 God sees potential in you. He sees seeds of greatness 0:12:35.600 --> 0:12:38.360 that you may not be able to see in yourself. 0:12:39.080 --> 0:12:42.679 He's going to present you with opportunities that seem way 0:12:42.880 --> 0:12:46.880 over your head. Don't shrink back. You are well able. 0:12:47.640 --> 0:12:51.960 He's going to bring divine connections across your path. You 0:12:52.080 --> 0:12:56.000 thought you would always be single. You've already shut that door, 0:12:56.440 --> 0:12:59.920 convinced yourself you'll never meet anyone. God is going to 0:13:00.080 --> 0:13:03.840 come through the door that you closed and bring someone 0:13:03.920 --> 0:13:07.520 better than you've ever dreamed. I think about how many 0:13:07.600 --> 0:13:11.480 times I've closed the door. I didn't think something would 0:13:11.480 --> 0:13:15.560 work out, and God came through my doubt, through my fear, 0:13:16.000 --> 0:13:20.360 through what I thought was impossible. When we wanted to 0:13:20.400 --> 0:13:24.960 build a new auditorium, twice the land we found was 0:13:25.000 --> 0:13:28.480 sold out from under us. The first time it happened, 0:13:28.679 --> 0:13:31.080 I was certain that was the enemy trying to take 0:13:31.120 --> 0:13:36.400 our property. I kept praying, believing, hoping. Three months later 0:13:36.800 --> 0:13:40.840 the same thing happened. I could understand it once, but 0:13:40.960 --> 0:13:44.800 what were the chances of that happening twice. I thought, 0:13:45.160 --> 0:13:47.959 it's not meant to be. Let's just stay where we are. 0:13:48.320 --> 0:13:52.480 I closed the door. Six months later, the compact center 0:13:52.679 --> 0:13:57.120 came available. God is going to come through doors that 0:13:57.200 --> 0:14:01.640 you closed. You may think you're too old to accomplish 0:14:01.640 --> 0:14:04.840 your dream. Can I tell you? It's on the way 0:14:05.559 --> 0:14:08.640 you think it's too late to start your business. It's 0:14:08.679 --> 0:14:12.040 on the way you think you'll never live in that 0:14:12.200 --> 0:14:15.280 nice house. Last time you tried it didn't work out. 0:14:15.600 --> 0:14:19.280 It's on the way you don't think you'll ever get well. 0:14:19.480 --> 0:14:22.600 You've learned to live with the sickness. The good news 0:14:22.680 --> 0:14:26.920 is healing is headed your way. You may have closed 0:14:26.960 --> 0:14:31.240 the door, but God doesn't hold that against you. He's 0:14:31.320 --> 0:14:35.200 about to come through the door and do something better 0:14:35.360 --> 0:14:39.479 than you've ever imagined. The Israelites had been in slavery 0:14:39.560 --> 0:14:43.640 for many years. Moses went to the Pharaoh and told 0:14:43.720 --> 0:14:46.760 him to let the people go. He wouldn't do it 0:14:46.800 --> 0:14:50.800 at first, but after many plagues, he finally changed his 0:14:50.840 --> 0:14:54.840 mind and decided to let them leave. Moses was leading 0:14:54.920 --> 0:14:59.640 these two million people out of Egypt toward the Promised Land. 0:15:00.000 --> 0:15:04.280 Suddenly the Pharaoh changed his mind. He sent six hundred 0:15:04.360 --> 0:15:08.280 of his fastest chariots to catch them. Moses could see 0:15:08.320 --> 0:15:11.640 them coming way off in the distance. The problem was 0:15:12.040 --> 0:15:15.280 the Israelites were at a dead end at the Red Sea. 0:15:15.800 --> 0:15:20.280 They had nowhere to go. I can imagine Moses saying, God, 0:15:20.760 --> 0:15:24.680 I don't see any options. We're surrounded by water. The 0:15:24.840 --> 0:15:28.000 enemy is closing in. I would ask you to open 0:15:28.040 --> 0:15:31.840 a door, but I don't see a door. God said Moses. 0:15:32.000 --> 0:15:36.720 Don't worry. I am the door. God is not just 0:15:37.120 --> 0:15:40.960 a way maker, He is the way. He can create 0:15:41.200 --> 0:15:45.040 what you need. That's why he's called the Great. I 0:15:45.160 --> 0:15:48.880 am I am whatever you need. I am a door, 0:15:49.600 --> 0:15:53.120 I am a key, I am a way out. God 0:15:53.160 --> 0:15:56.400 told Moses to hold up his rod. When he did, 0:15:56.800 --> 0:16:01.000 the red sea parted. The people walked through on dry 0:16:01.080 --> 0:16:04.640 When the enemy came chasing after them, the waters closed 0:16:04.680 --> 0:16:09.360 back up. They were all drowned. Some experts try to 0:16:09.400 --> 0:16:13.760 explain this miracle by saying the winds at that time 0:16:13.800 --> 0:16:16.960 of year could have blown the water's back. That's how 0:16:17.000 --> 0:16:20.520 they passed through. It was just a natural occurrence. What 0:16:20.600 --> 0:16:24.640 they don't realize is God is the wind. I am 0:16:24.720 --> 0:16:28.600 the wind to push back waters. I am a door 0:16:28.680 --> 0:16:32.920 to take you through what looks impossible. When an architect 0:16:33.120 --> 0:16:37.400 is designing a home, he decides where to put the doors. 0:16:37.880 --> 0:16:40.080 I want a door in the kitchen, a door to 0:16:40.160 --> 0:16:43.440 the garage, I want two doors in the family room. Well, 0:16:43.480 --> 0:16:48.280 God is the architect of the universe. He decides where 0:16:48.320 --> 0:16:51.240 the doors are going to go. You may be in 0:16:51.280 --> 0:16:55.440 a situation where you don't see a way out, like Moses. 0:16:55.480 --> 0:16:58.960 It feels like a dead end in your health, your career, 0:16:59.160 --> 0:17:03.760 a relationship. It's because the door is not there yet. 0:17:04.520 --> 0:17:08.760 The good news is God is not finished He's already 0:17:08.800 --> 0:17:13.439 designed your doors. They're already on your plans. Now at 0:17:13.480 --> 0:17:17.280 the right time, that door is going to suddenly show up. 0:17:17.960 --> 0:17:22.400 Suddenly your water's part, Suddenly things shift in your favor, 0:17:22.800 --> 0:17:27.080 Suddenly the opposition goes away. When you don't see away, 0:17:27.840 --> 0:17:31.679 instead of being discouraged, you need to remind yourself the 0:17:31.720 --> 0:17:35.800 God we serve is not looking for a door. He's 0:17:35.840 --> 0:17:38.800 not hoping to find a door. He is the door. 0:17:40.080 --> 0:17:45.200 No person can stop your destiny, no bad break, no sickness, 0:17:45.480 --> 0:17:50.080 no opposition. When it's your time, like with the Israelites, 0:17:50.440 --> 0:17:53.439 God is going to open a door that will thrust 0:17:53.520 --> 0:17:56.840 you ahead. You're going to look back and say, what 0:17:56.960 --> 0:17:59.960 I thought was a closed door was really an op 0:18:00.000 --> 0:18:03.919 opportunity for God to show out in my life. I 0:18:04.000 --> 0:18:06.720 thought it was setting me back, but really it was 0:18:06.840 --> 0:18:10.119 setting me up to go further than I thought possible. 0:18:10.920 --> 0:18:14.600 I believe God is about to create some new doors 0:18:14.680 --> 0:18:18.960 for you. Areas where you feel stuck, like you've reached 0:18:18.960 --> 0:18:22.159 your limits. Get ready. God is about to make a 0:18:22.200 --> 0:18:24.919 way where you don't see away. It's going to be 0:18:24.960 --> 0:18:28.399 out of the ordinary, something that you couldn't make happen. 0:18:28.880 --> 0:18:33.400 That's the great I am, I am favor, I am promotion, 0:18:33.600 --> 0:18:37.720 I am healing, I am victory. In Acts chapter twelve, 0:18:37.960 --> 0:18:42.159 King Herod had Peter arrested and put in prison. Herod 0:18:42.280 --> 0:18:45.800 was against the Church. He had already had the apostle 0:18:46.080 --> 0:18:49.520 James put to death. It didn't look good for Peter. 0:18:50.200 --> 0:18:53.400 He was in the deepest part of the prison, chained 0:18:53.480 --> 0:18:57.720 between two soldiers. Herod went to great links to make 0:18:57.760 --> 0:19:01.440 sure he didn't get out. Next morning, Peter was going 0:19:01.520 --> 0:19:04.119 to be brought to trial. There was a group of 0:19:04.160 --> 0:19:08.600 believers gathered at Mary's house. They stayed up all night 0:19:08.720 --> 0:19:12.280 and were praying for Peter. They knew this was very serious. 0:19:12.760 --> 0:19:16.520 Looked like this closed door could stop his purpose. Herod 0:19:16.560 --> 0:19:21.040 assigned sixteen more soldiers to watch over Peter and make 0:19:21.080 --> 0:19:25.440 sure he didn't escape. But while he was sleeping, an 0:19:25.480 --> 0:19:29.360 angel came and woke Peter up. He said, get dressed, 0:19:29.440 --> 0:19:33.879 we're about to leave. Herod did everything he could to 0:19:34.000 --> 0:19:37.840 keep Peter in. What he didn't realize is he couldn't 0:19:37.920 --> 0:19:41.880 keep God out. The scripture says God is a very 0:19:42.080 --> 0:19:45.800 present help in times of trouble. When you're in trouble, 0:19:46.160 --> 0:19:49.159 God is right there with you. He comes into the 0:19:49.200 --> 0:19:54.000 prison into the hospital into those times of loss. Well, 0:19:54.040 --> 0:19:57.240 Peter thought he was dreaming. He stood up and the 0:19:57.320 --> 0:20:00.600 chains fell off his wrist. The angel didn't have a key, 0:20:01.160 --> 0:20:05.240 nothing to cut them off. They came off supernaturally. None 0:20:05.320 --> 0:20:10.280 of the other guards heard them. Sixteen soldiers assigned a watch, 0:20:10.400 --> 0:20:15.080 but nobody noticed. God knows how to make you invisible 0:20:15.119 --> 0:20:17.800 to the enemy. He won't let you get in a 0:20:17.840 --> 0:20:21.760 problem that he can't bring you out of. Peter followed 0:20:21.760 --> 0:20:26.400 the angel through the prison, passing other guards. They finally 0:20:26.440 --> 0:20:29.960 came to the big gate that led out to the streets. 0:20:30.440 --> 0:20:34.480 The scripture says the gate opened of its own accord, 0:20:35.240 --> 0:20:38.800 just like the angel had the remote control. Peter went 0:20:38.840 --> 0:20:42.359 to the house of Mary's, where everyone was praying, knocked 0:20:42.400 --> 0:20:46.080 on the door. A young lady answered. When she saw Peter, 0:20:46.480 --> 0:20:49.480 she was so surprised she didn't open the door. She 0:20:49.640 --> 0:20:53.760 ran back to tell everyone. Verse fifteen says they said 0:20:53.760 --> 0:20:56.840 to her, you are out of your mind. They thought 0:20:56.840 --> 0:20:59.800 that she was seeing things. Meanwhile, Peter was still out 0:20:59.800 --> 0:21:04.439 there knocking. The next morning, when Herod found out that 0:21:04.520 --> 0:21:08.400 Peter had escaped, he had all those guards put to death. 0:21:09.480 --> 0:21:12.600 This closed door should have been the end of Peter, 0:21:13.240 --> 0:21:16.800 Herod was ready to finish him off. But people don't 0:21:16.800 --> 0:21:20.879 have the final saying. Some of the doors that should 0:21:21.000 --> 0:21:24.520 stop you, like with Peter, you're going to see them 0:21:24.600 --> 0:21:28.440 open of their own accord. It wasn't anything you did. 0:21:29.080 --> 0:21:31.760 You can't take credit for it. What you were up 0:21:31.800 --> 0:21:37.320 against was bigger, more powerful. But somehow you defeated Goliath. 0:21:37.840 --> 0:21:41.879 Somehow you got the compact center. That sickness should have 0:21:41.960 --> 0:21:45.400 been the end, but the door opened of its own accord. 0:21:45.840 --> 0:21:50.040 Somehow you got Well, you weren't qualified for that position. 0:21:50.640 --> 0:21:53.280 Looked like you were stuck in your career, but the 0:21:53.320 --> 0:21:57.000 door opened of its own accord. The promotion came to you. 0:21:58.119 --> 0:22:01.320 Or maybe you've tried to break the addiction and have 0:22:01.400 --> 0:22:05.399 it been able to it looks like that's your destiny. No, 0:22:05.560 --> 0:22:08.600 that door is about to open of its own accord. 0:22:09.000 --> 0:22:13.520 You're going to discover a power beyond your natural ability. 0:22:14.000 --> 0:22:18.040 Perhaps at work there are people against you. They have 0:22:18.119 --> 0:22:21.399 more seniority, they should be able to hold you down. 0:22:21.960 --> 0:22:25.120 But that door is going to open of its own accord. 0:22:25.760 --> 0:22:30.600 The scripture says God opens doors that no person can shut. 0:22:31.560 --> 0:22:35.359 That means even if people don't like you, even if 0:22:35.400 --> 0:22:39.120 they do their best to discredit you. Like Herod, they 0:22:39.160 --> 0:22:42.600 may be in charge. They decide whether you get the promotion, 0:22:43.040 --> 0:22:46.520 the scholarship, the loan. Don't worry, they don't have the 0:22:46.600 --> 0:22:51.000 final say. There are doors God has already ordained for 0:22:51.119 --> 0:22:55.920 you to open of their own accord. Here Herod had 0:22:56.080 --> 0:23:02.160 eighteen soldiers specifically assigned to hold Peter back. Here's the key. 0:23:02.640 --> 0:23:06.440 You and God are a majority. What He is destined 0:23:06.480 --> 0:23:11.040 for your life will override anyone or anything trying to 0:23:11.080 --> 0:23:16.840 stop you. Bottom line, God is your doorkeeper, not your boss, 0:23:17.119 --> 0:23:20.800 not your banker, not your neighbor, not your opponent. They 0:23:20.920 --> 0:23:24.080 may shut the door, but God can walk through it. 0:23:24.640 --> 0:23:27.520 He doesn't have to open it. He may not do 0:23:27.640 --> 0:23:31.920 it a traditional way. He can go around what's blocking you. 0:23:32.359 --> 0:23:35.320 He can go over who's trying to stop you. He 0:23:35.359 --> 0:23:38.520 can move someone out of the way that's holding you back. 0:23:39.200 --> 0:23:42.320 Says in Psalms. You can run through a true and 0:23:42.440 --> 0:23:45.720 leap over a wall. Some of the doors that have 0:23:45.800 --> 0:23:48.919 held you back. You think it's been too long. You 0:23:48.960 --> 0:23:52.160 could never accomplish a dream, never get well, never break 0:23:52.200 --> 0:23:55.840 the addiction. No, those doors are about to open of 0:23:55.920 --> 0:24:00.479 their own accord. Things happen that you never dreamed when happened. 0:24:01.160 --> 0:24:03.639 I talked to a man recently. He'd work for a 0:24:03.680 --> 0:24:08.080 company for many years, very faithful, always did more than required, 0:24:08.560 --> 0:24:12.960 but his supervisor didn't like him. He gave everyone promotions 0:24:13.040 --> 0:24:16.720 except this man. He would leave him out of important meetings. 0:24:17.040 --> 0:24:19.840 He's always trying to discredit him and make him look bad. 0:24:20.520 --> 0:24:24.080 It looked like this man was stuck limited behind an 0:24:24.200 --> 0:24:28.760 unfair supervisor. One day, the owner of the company needed 0:24:28.760 --> 0:24:32.359 some work done. The supervisor was out of town, so 0:24:32.480 --> 0:24:34.760 this man worked with the owner for a couple of 0:24:34.800 --> 0:24:38.360 weeks got him all the reports that he needed. The 0:24:38.400 --> 0:24:42.600 owner was so impressed. Several months later, he decided to 0:24:42.640 --> 0:24:47.159 restructure the staff. He called this man and the supervisor in. 0:24:47.760 --> 0:24:50.800 He said to the man, from now on, I want 0:24:50.840 --> 0:24:54.280 you to run the company and report directly to me. 0:24:55.000 --> 0:24:57.639 He turned to the supervisor and said, from now on, 0:24:57.920 --> 0:25:00.880 I want you to report to him. He went from 0:25:00.920 --> 0:25:04.920 being left out to being in charge. What am I saying? 0:25:06.040 --> 0:25:10.240 People can't lock you out of your purpose. God is 0:25:10.280 --> 0:25:14.160 the one who opens and closes doors. This man didn't 0:25:14.160 --> 0:25:17.040 have to struggle, He didn't have to make things happen. 0:25:17.720 --> 0:25:21.560 You keep honoring God being your best, and the right 0:25:21.680 --> 0:25:25.679 doors will open for you. Now here's the key. Trust 0:25:25.760 --> 0:25:30.680 God's timing. Don't be impatient because the door hasn't opened yet. 0:25:30.840 --> 0:25:33.680 God knows what he's doing. He's not going to let 0:25:33.720 --> 0:25:38.720 you miss your destiny. He sees every injustice, he sees 0:25:38.760 --> 0:25:42.200 every time you're not treated right. Someone's trying to hold 0:25:42.240 --> 0:25:46.600 you back. Stay in peace. Your time is coming. Those 0:25:46.680 --> 0:25:50.560 closed doors can't stop your destiny. Like this man, you're 0:25:50.600 --> 0:25:55.800 going to see vindication, promotion, doors opening of their own accord. 0:25:56.560 --> 0:25:59.280 In the Book of First Samuel, a young lady named 0:25:59.320 --> 0:26:02.960 Hannah was very discouraged because she couldn't have a baby. 0:26:03.680 --> 0:26:07.160 Her husband was married to two wives. This other wife 0:26:07.320 --> 0:26:11.919 kept having child after child. Hannah couldn't understand. It didn't 0:26:11.920 --> 0:26:17.080 seem fair, but the scripture says the Lord closed Hannah's womb. 0:26:18.119 --> 0:26:22.440 Sometimes we're frustrated over a door that God has closed. 0:26:23.080 --> 0:26:26.320 We may not like it, we don't understand it. But 0:26:26.440 --> 0:26:30.600 when you know God is your doorkeeper, that he opens 0:26:30.720 --> 0:26:36.000 and closes doors, not people, not circumstances, then you can 0:26:36.080 --> 0:26:39.640 live at rest knowing at the right time God will 0:26:39.680 --> 0:26:45.160 open the right doors. For years, Hannah was buried. One day, 0:26:45.200 --> 0:26:47.840 she was so discouraged she went to the temple to pray. 0:26:48.440 --> 0:26:51.280 She said, God, if you'll give me a baby, i'll 0:26:51.320 --> 0:26:53.720 give him back to you. I'll let him live in 0:26:53.800 --> 0:26:57.720 the temple. The priest overheard her prayer said, Hannah, you 0:26:57.760 --> 0:27:02.240 can go home. God has granted you request. A year later, 0:27:02.560 --> 0:27:05.919 she gave birth to a baby boy. They named him Samuel. 0:27:07.040 --> 0:27:11.080 Just because a door is shut doesn't mean that it's permanent. 0:27:11.920 --> 0:27:14.560 You may not have seen what you're believing for yet, 0:27:14.800 --> 0:27:18.520 but that doesn't mean that it's not going to happen. Yes, 0:27:18.640 --> 0:27:22.000 God shuts doors that no man can open, but he 0:27:22.160 --> 0:27:26.359 also opens doors that no man can shut. If you'll 0:27:26.400 --> 0:27:29.639 stay in faith like Hannah, you're going to see that 0:27:29.800 --> 0:27:33.800 closed door suddenly open. You're not going to have to 0:27:33.880 --> 0:27:38.919 make it happen, manipulate people, force your way. The truth 0:27:39.080 --> 0:27:42.280 is you can't open a door that God has shut. 0:27:43.040 --> 0:27:46.760 Keep praying, believe, and do your part. Then trust God 0:27:47.119 --> 0:27:52.320 as your doorkeeper. Are you frustrated over what hasn't worked out, 0:27:52.600 --> 0:27:56.680 discouraged over a dream that hasn't come to pass. If 0:27:56.720 --> 0:28:00.480 Hannah were here today, she would tell you be paid patient. 0:28:00.840 --> 0:28:05.000 The closed door is not permanent. Peter would tell you 0:28:05.000 --> 0:28:07.359 you don't have to figure it out. It's going to 0:28:07.440 --> 0:28:11.159 open of its own accord. The disciples would tell you 0:28:11.560 --> 0:28:14.760 it may be locked, but don't worry. God can come 0:28:14.840 --> 0:28:19.000 through the door. He can do it a supernatural way. Now, 0:28:19.080 --> 0:28:22.200 doors may have been closed for a long time for you. 0:28:22.760 --> 0:28:25.879 Doesn't seem like it's ever going to happen. No, get ready, 0:28:26.200 --> 0:28:30.879 I believe and declare the doorkeeper is about to open 0:28:30.960 --> 0:28:34.840 doors that no man can shut. The right people are coming. 0:28:35.320 --> 0:28:38.840 Problems that look permanent are about to suddenly turn around 0:28:39.200 --> 0:28:44.160 of their own accord. Promotion, healing, breakthroughs, the fullness of 0:28:44.200 --> 0:28:48.120 your destiny in Jesus' name, And if you receive it, 0:28:48.280 --> 0:28:52.280 Can you say men today? And I'd like to give 0:28:52.320 --> 0:28:56.080 you an opportunity to make Jesus the lord of your life. 0:28:56.520 --> 0:29:00.960 Would you pray with me? Just say, Lord, Jesus, I 0:29:01.120 --> 0:29:06.360 repent of my sins. Come into my heart. I make 0:29:06.400 --> 0:29:10.440 you my Lord and savior. Friends, if you prayed that 0:29:10.560 --> 0:29:13.800 simple prayer, you just got born again. Get in a 0:29:13.840 --> 0:29:17.960 good Bible based church, and keep God first place. Thanks 0:29:18.000 --> 0:29:20.840 so much for listening to today's message. 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